LAS VEGAS — The Golden Knights turned Thursday’s skate at City National Arena into a closed-door thank-you for local first responders, bringing community members into the rink on the ninth anniversary of the Oct. 1, 2017 shooting on the Las Vegas Strip.
- Vegas held a private practice Thursday rather than its usual public session at City National Arena.
- First responders from across the community were invited to watch the club skate, with a large crowd filling the practice rink.
- Coach Ryan Craig said the gathering was meant to recognize first responders for their selfless work and to remember the shooting victims and their families.
- Forward William Karlsson, an original Golden Knight, said the date remains surreal each season and credited the organization for continuing its remembrance.
- The Golden Knights are 1-0-0 entering Friday’s home game against the Anaheim Ducks.
Craig said the practice gave the team a chance to pause for the firefighters, police officers, paramedics, nurses and doctors who serve the city. He also reflected on how close the tragedy felt to a team that had only just arrived in Las Vegas.
On Oct. 1, 2017, a gunman fired from the 32nd floor of Mandalay Bay into the Route 91 Harvest Festival. Fifty-eight people were killed and many others were injured. The attack came hours after Vegas completed its final preseason game, five days before the expansion club was due to make its NHL debut in Dallas.
Craig recalled that he, his wife and others with them could easily have attended the festival had they known the city better as training camp ended. The Golden Knights responded by rallying around Las Vegas, then staged an emotional ceremony before their first home game on Oct. 11, when first responders lined the blue line and players stood behind them.
Karlsson said Oct. 1 always brings those memories back. He called it a reminder to salute the first responders and remember what happened, adding that the franchise has handled that responsibility well from the start.
What it means for Friday against Anaheim
Vegas returns to game preparation after the community-focused skate and will host the Ducks in its second game of the season Friday at 10 p.m. ET. The game is scheduled for Prime Video, SCRIPPS, KCOP-13, SN and TVAS.
The Golden Knights will take the ice carrying a 1-0-0 record, with Thursday’s practice serving less as a tactical session in public view than a moment to recognize the city and the people who responded when Las Vegas needed them most.
